U.S., Pharmaceutical Companies Should Work With, Not Against, Indian Drug Industry

“…Indian companies provide cheap generic drugs to countries across the world and account for 80 percent of donor-funded HIV treatment — a set-up now threatened by U.S. pressure [to introduce ‘data exclusivity,’ which could restrict generic versions of off-patent drugs]. But Big Pharma should work with Indian companies and could even benefit by doing so. … It is crucial the Indian drug industry isn’t crippled by extreme patent reforms. The country should remind the U.S. that, as India’s generics are largely sold in poor countries, the trade will hardly damage major U.S. pharmaceutical firms in the core markets of North America, Europe, and Japan. And there might actually be lucrative partnership opportunities within this generic drug trade, with Indian firms offering expertise about trading in Africa in exchange for Western research and development resources” (8/28).